Monday, Oct. 11, is celebrated as Columbus Day, which means that it's a federal holiday. The mail won't be delivered today since the post office is closed, Los Alamos National Laboratory is closed, and many financial institutions are closed as well.

Los Alamos Public Schools also observe the Columbus Day holiday, but Los Alamos County offices are open for business as usual. The Larry R. Walkup Aquatic Center is open on regular hours today.

The County’s Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Evaluation and Oversight Committee will hold the next set of public hearings on Phase 1 applications at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday in Council Chambers.
The following applications will be reviewed:
• Ice Rink Cover (CIP-035-1) — Study to provide a cover for the County Ice Rink.

Beginning Tuesday, the Los Alamos County Pavement Department will begin stage one of reconstruction of West Road from Diamond to Fairway. The work is a jumpstart on next year’s construction project in the area. Expect various lane closures with flagging operations.
Pavement Director Tom Roach estimates the construction project to be completed within a two week period dependent on any weather delays.
For more information, call the County of Los Alamos Public Works Department at 662-8150.

The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department confirmed Friday that the agency launched an investigation late in the week surrounding an alleged childcare business which may be operating illegally out of a home at 525 Navajo.
This is the same residence where Katrina Vigil, 25, allegedly gave birth Sept. 24 to a baby boy, Grey Vigil, and then reportedly did not seek medical attention for herself or the newborn. Grey died 10 days later in hospice care in Rio Rancho.

PHOENIX — Oct. 15 is fast approaching and is a key deadline for millions of individual taxpayers who requested an extension to file their 2009 tax returns.
It is also a crucial due date for thousands of small nonprofit organizations at risk of losing their tax-exempt status because they have not filed the required forms in the last three years.

BEIJING (AP) — Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to an imprisoned Chinese dissident sparked praise from Western governments, brought condemnation from Beijing and is exposing the difficulties fitting a powerful, authoritarian China into the international order.

A day after Liu Xiaobo was named the winner, a touchy Chinese government built upon its initially angry response Saturday.

NEW YORK (AP) — A crush of fans circled a flower-graced mosaic in Central Park's Strawberry Fields and sang lyrics from "Imagine" on Saturday to honor Beatles legend John Lennon on his 70th birthday.

On the day when the Liverpool Lad would have become a septuagenarian, thousands of fans from around the world gathered to remember the floppy-haired British superstar who just wanted to give peace a chance.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan said Saturday it will reopen a key border crossing and allow convoys to resume delivering supplies to NATO troops in Afghanistan, ending a 10-day blockade during which trucks were stranded on their way to the border and almost 150 were destroyed by attackers.

Pakistan closed the northwest crossing at Torkham on Sept. 30 in an apparent protest over a NATO helicopter incursion that killed two of its soldiers on the border.